Atomizer of gas in liquid



Oct. 26, 1965 G. MEUNIER 3,214,151

ATOMIZER OF GAS IN LIQUID Filed Oct. 11, 1962 IN VEN TOR.

BY Gabriel mum/m AG FNT United States Patent 3,214,151 ATOMIZER 0F GAS 1N LIQUID Gabriel Meunier, Ville St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada, as-

signor to Degremont Canada Ltee, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Oct. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 229,845 1 Claim. (Cl. 261-64) The present invention relates to means for diffusing or atomizing a gas in a mass of liquid for absorption by the latter.

Atornizers of the character described usually consist of a block of foraminous material fed with the gas under pressure which passes through the material and emerges therefrom in the form of fine gas bubbles into the surrounding liquid or a head having a plate perforated with a plurality of small orifices for the escape of the gas. These conventional gas diffusing heads work very well in a clear liquid but they generally become clogged when working in a liquid suspension and in an intermittent manner, and thus they have to be removed and cleaned very frequently.

Moreover, when a plurality diffusing heads of known constructions are supplied from a common source of gas under pressure, it is very diflicult to regulate the gas pressure at each individual head, so as to obtain uniform gas discharge for all the heads.

Accordingly, the general object of the present invention resides in the provision of an atomizer or gas diffusing head which will obviate the above noted disadvantages.

A more specific object of the present invention resides in the provision of a gas diffusing head which does not become clogged, even when working in a thick liquid suspension and in an intermittent manner.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a diffusing head of the character described in which the liquid suspension is automatically prevented from entering the tubing system feeding the gas under pressure upon stopping of the gas diffusing treatment.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a diffusing head of the character described having means for easily adjusting the discharge rate of the gas therefrom.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a diffusing head of the character described which produces fine gas bubbles into the surrounding liquid resulting in a high absorption coeificient of the gas by the liquid medium.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a diffusing head of the character described which is adapted for treatment of substances suspended in liquid such as the oxidation of residual Waters in the treatment of sewage and which may also be used for the oxidation of metal ores in fusion and the like.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the diffusing head of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; and

FIGURE 3 is a schematic elevation of an oxidation tank using the diffusing heads of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the diffusing head in accordance with the invention comprises a body member 1, a coil spring 2 and a closure plate 3 retained on the body member 1 by the coil spring 2.

Body member 1 has a cylindrical main. portion 4 integral with the larger end of a flaring portion 5 of generally frusto-conical shape and provided at its smaller end with an inlet opening having inner threads 6 and outer threads 7.

Cylindrical portion 4 is provided with several convolutions of a spirally arranged groove 8 of partly circular cross-section. Preferably, the groove 8 terminates short of the edge face 9 of body member 1 to define a cylindrical face portion 10 which is level with the bottom of the groove 8 and is therefore recessed from the outer face 11 of cylindrical portion 4.

Closure plate 3 consists of a disc provided at its periphery with a cylindrical flange 12, the outside surface of which is formed with a spiral groove or thread 13 making several convolutions also of partly circular crosssection and terminating short of the edge face 14 of closure plate 3 to define a flat cylindrical face portion 15 immediately adjacent edge face 14 and recessed inwardly with respect to outer cylindrical face portion 16 of clo sure plate 3.

The flange 12 of closure plate 3 has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical portion 4 of body member 1, such that the edge face 14 of flange 12 is disposed opposite the edge face 9 of body member 1.

Coil spring 2 is threaded in grooves 8 and 13 of body member 1 and closure plate 3 respectively and connects said two elements together. The ends of the coil spring 2 may be anchored to body member 1 and closure plate 3 respectively, if so desired, for instance by bending said ends inwardly and inserting them within holes made in the respective elements. However, this has been found unnecessary because the coil spring has no tendency to unscrew from the associated elements.

In practice several heads H are secured by means of a tee in engagement with the outer threads 7 of the head to a common pipe 17 connected at its outer end to a source of gas under pressure, such as air. The pipe 17 and the several heads H are located within a tank T containing the liquid L to be treated. If the tank T contains a suspension of sewage to be oxidized, air under pressure is fed to pipe 17 and enters each head H whereby the closure plate 3 lifts off the body member 1 under the internal pressure and the air escapes between the convolutions of the portion of the spring 2 extending between the body member 1 and closure plate 3 in the area between the outer ends of the grooves 8 and 13. Air escapes substantially evenly around the head and between several convolutions whereby very fine air bubbles are discharged into the liquid L. As soon as the air pressure ceases the closure plate returns to a position close to body member 1 and in which the convolutions of the spring abut each other, thereby preventing entry of the liquid L within the head H. The discharge rate of the gas can be regulated by adjusting the pressure of the gas fed to the several heads. However, the discharge rate of each individual head can be adjusted by simply screwing more or less the spring 2 within the grooves 8 and/or 13 of body 1 and closure plate 3, so as to have a lesser or greater number of convolutions extending between the outer ends of the grooves 8 and 13.

It is also possible to adjust the discharge rate by screwing into inner threads 6, a bored plug or nipple (not shown) the bore of which is of the desired diameter.

By one or the other or by both of these means, it is very easy to obatin equal discharge rate of the gas from the several heads H in the tank T.

The heads will always open under gas pressure even if used in a tank containing a very sticky liquid suspension and even if the tank has been emptied and dry material has adhered for a long time to the heads.

Obviously, coupling means other than threads 7 can be provided for attaching the head H to the pipe 17.

The spring 2 although being shown as having a circular cross-section may have a rectangular or square crosssectional shape.

Also the material used in the manufacture of the head will depend on the intended specific application; for instance, the device could be made in ceramic material, for use in the oxidation of metal ores in fusion.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a system for diffusing gas into a liquid body including pipe means connected to a supply of gas under pressure and at least one gas-diffusing head located in said liquid body, said head comprising a hollow cylindrical body member having a restricted portion at one end forming an inlet opening connected to said pipe means to be fed with gas under pressure, said body member having an outlet opening at the other end, a closure plate extending across said outlet opening and co-extensive therewith, said closure plate having a cylindrical flange of substantially the diameter of said body member and located adjacent to said outlet opening, said body member and the cylindrical flange of said closure plate being each provided with a spiral groove forming a plurality of convolutions, and a cylindrical coil spring formed of a plurality of spiral convolutions, the end convolutions of said coil spring adjustably threaded within the grooves of said closure plate flange and of said body member and having an adjusted number of intermediate convolutions free of said body member and closure plate and extending between the same, said intermediate convolutions abutting each other in the rest position of said spring and closure plate, so that said closure plate, said spring and said body member define a substantially gastight chamber in said rest position, whereby gas under pressure fed to said head will cause movement of the closure plate away from the body member and extension of said intermediate convolutions of said spring, and gas will be discharged from said head between said spaced intermediate convolutions and at a rate proportional to the number of said intermediate convolutions of the coil spring, and cessation of gas pressure within said head will result in movement of said closure plate towards said body member and closing of said intermediate convolutions of said spring to thereby prevent entry of liquid within said head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,184,873 5/16 Raymond 138-44 X 2,125,435 8/38 Erling 137-525 X 2,265,629 12/41 Christiansen. 2,371,900 3/45 Livermont 137525 3,063,689 11/62 Coppack 261-124 3,077,206 2/63 Graham. 3,151,628 10/64 Heckert.

FOREIGN PATENTS 558,342 5/23 France. 824,376 11/59 Great Britain.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

RONALD R. WEAVER, Examiner. 

